"Clash of the Titans" is epically convoluted

After the cinematic masterpiece Avatar awakened moviegoers to the potential of beautiful 3D imagery, theaters have been flooded with second-rate copies covered with the 3D format in post production.

"Clash of the Titans" is no exception.

Though mildly entertaining, it lacks the dynamic experience offered by the original movie released in 1981.

The film's plot is threadbare and bland as demigod Perseus (Sam Worthington) goes on a quest to slaughter the Kraken, and save the fallen city of Argos and their princess Andromeda (Alexa Davalos) from the wrath of the gods.

Plot twists include a slue of giant scorpions, and the intense battle within Medusa's temple in the Underworld to spice up the lack of character depth and make up for the original plot, which is lost in a sea of chaotic and explosive battle scenes.

On top of this, the Greek mythology behind the plot is surprisingly inaccurate. The time line for the events, traditionally stretching over years, is condensed to a single week.

Furthermore, the entire premise for the war between the human race and the gods is a figment of a script writer's imagination. Finally, the addition of the character Io (Gemma Arterton), a beautiful Grecian woman cursed by the gods with agelessness, is a clever, but ultimately ineffective plot-device.

Io is used to break up the formerly all-male band that travels with Perseus, and her ageless status qualifies her as an endless source of knowledge, which allows her to serve as a voice for exposition.

However, she lacks the vital information that Perseus needs to defeat the Kraken and is essentially useless. She also becomes the love interest of the faithless hero, contradicting the mythology where he asks for Andromeda's hand in marriage. This results in an abrupt and hokey end to a long, drawn out climax.

The 3D imagery does nothing positive for the movie either. The film was shot in 2D and was retrofitted for 3D after the fact (unlike the master piece Avatar), and the effect is not worth the extra cash it will cost you. Arguably, the imagery does heighten the more epic aspects of the film. When the Kraken, a beast so terrifying "even the gods fear it" comes on screen, the audience plays witness to a very imaginative CGI creation.

Over all, the movie does its job by capturing the attention of its audience, but this is not a hard task. Balloon animals would have had the same effect. Ultimately, the inaccuracy of the folklore and endlessly dull plot fall short in comparison to the original 1981 film, and the 3D rendition does nothing to save its slowly sinking ratings.

Titans fans beware, this movie will leave you confused and disappointed.